Why You Should Buy Used Kitchen Equipment

Don’t stray away from those pots and pans at the thrift store or yard sale. I am writing to prove to you that used kitchen equipment isn’t as bad as you’d think. I don’t have much scientific reasoning, but have some logical reasoning. If I have or haven’t managed to convince you, leave your comments below!

Why I didn’t like it 

I used to cringe in the kitchen aisle of the thrift store. The kitchen equipment looked so dirty and who knows what has been on them. I also thought about how many previous owners may have slobbered all over the equipment. I’m practically making out with them by using the same utensils. Most of the time, I avoided the kitchen section without much thought.

What made me change my mind

Same concept as eating in a restaurant

Using the same utensils or cooking equipment as someone else is essentially the same as eating from a restaurant. The same pots and pans are used to cook everyone else’s food. When you’re at a restaurant, you’re using the same utensils as everyone else before you and you don’t even flinch at that thought.

It’s so cheap

I could get a cast iron pan for like $5 dollars. I mean a regular 10inch cast iron is like $20 new and you still have to  take time to season it in. I’ve seen good dutch ovens sell for much lower than if it were brand new.  Just the amount of bargains that I could find was amazing. 

Some people shy away from those used dutch ovens and cast iron pans because they don’t have the smooth, clean texture that new ones have. This makes them seem dirty or worn out. However, dutch ovens tend to become discolored which is totally normal. Cast iron pans become rough and gnarly looking after years of seasoning, something that is coveted in a cast iron pan.

I was tired of consuming

I’ve moved so often. Since I was 18, I’ve moved almost every year. When I first moved to New York City, I moved 3 times in 6 months. Every time I moved, I was constantly buying the same kitchen equipment that I didn’t have space to pack or my roommate had ruined it. I think by the 3rd time I’d moved, I remembered thinking to myself that buying new things every year was not only a waste of money, it was reckless spending and consuming. I knew I’d probably throw out whatever I bought in a year so I’d buy the cheapest thing from the cheapest company. Most of the time, it was a company that I didn’t want to support.

I was trying to be more environmentally conscious

There’s a finite amount of resources in the world and we need to monitor how much we consume.I’m not sure what the carbon footprint of the kitchenware I would buy every year was. However, I’m sure it was very high. There are some things you need to buy new every time you move. Kitchen ware is not one of them. 

Hopefully, you’ve realized that you should also be buying used kitchen wares. Don’t stray away from them at the thrift store. Other options to find used kitchen ware are Craigslist (they’ll even give it for free sometimes), online classifieds and garage sales.